NITI Aayog's May 2026 report found that the number of government schools declined from 11.07 lakh to 10.13 lakh between 2014-15 and 2024-25
Total school enrolment dropped by 2.26 crore, from 26.95 crore to 24.69 crore, driven by falling fertility rates, demographic changes, and challenges in retaining students at higher levels of education.
While government schools declined, private schools increased by 51,000 over the decade, reflecting a growing preference among parents for English-medium education, perceived better teaching quality, and improved career prospects.
IN A MAY 2026 REPORT, NITI Aayog highlighted a major decline in the number of government schools over the last decade. The report, titled 'School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement,' highlights a concerning trend in India's public education infrastructure, showing that nearly 94,000 government schools have disappeared from the school network over the past 10 years.
The report also shows that India's public education system has undergone significant transformation during this period. Student enrolment fell by 2.26 crore, reflecting sweeping structural changes in school education driven by demographic shifts, school rationalisation policies, and changing parental preferences.
The report shows that the number of government schools has fallen significantly. In 2014-15, there were 11.07 lakh government schools, but by 2024-25, the number had declined to 10.13 lakh. This means that, on average, around 25 government schools disappeared from the education network every day over the past decade. During the same period, government-aided schools also declined from 83,000 to 79,000.
While government schools saw a decline, private schools recorded a steady rise. Their number increased from 2.88 lakh in 2014-15 to 3.39 lakh in 2024-25, a net increase of 51,000 schools. This reflects the changing education landscape in India and the growing preference among parents for private schools.
The report also found that total student enrolment dropped by 2.26 crore, falling from 26.95 crore students in 2014-15 to 24.69 crore in 2024-25.
Despite improvements in primary education, the report highlights persistent concerns about student retention. The dropout rate remained low at 0.3% in primary classes, but increased to 3.5% at the upper primary level and 11.5% at the secondary stage.
Similarly, the transition rate from upper primary to secondary education declined from 91.58% in 2014-15 to 86.6% in 2024-25. States such as Kerala and Puducherry recorded transition rates of 99.6%, while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland reported comparatively lower rates.
According to NITI Aayog, one of the biggest reasons behind the decline is India's changing demographics. Falling fertility rates have reduced the country's school-age population, resulting in lower enrolment across many government schools.
Another major factor is school rationalisation, under which states merge nearby schools with low enrolment to improve the utilisation of teachers, infrastructure, and financial resources. The report notes that Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh alone accounted for nearly 40,000 school mergers during the past decade.
The report indicates that the reduction in the number of government schools is not solely due to schools being permanently shut down; a significant proportion of the decline is the result of mergers and administrative restructuring.
According to the report, while the merger of schools can improve operational efficiency, policymakers must ensure that it does not come at the cost of accessibility, particularly in rural and underserved regions. It recommends continued investment in teacher training, school infrastructure, digital learning, transportation support for students affected by school mergers, and improvements in learning outcomes to ensure that quality education remains accessible to all.
The report also points to a growing shift towards private schools. While the number of government schools declined over the past decade, private schools increased by 51,000 during the same period. It attributes this trend to changing parental aspirations, expanding employment opportunities, and the growing preference for English-medium education, perceived better teaching quality, stronger classroom discipline, and improved career prospects, prompting more families to choose private schools over government institutions.
The report also raises concerns about learning outcomes at the secondary level. It notes that many Class IX students continue to struggle with foundational mathematics, including percentages, fractions, and ratios, in addition to more advanced topics such as algebra and geometry. According to the report, these learning gaps begin in the early years of schooling and continue to affect students as they progress through the education system.
Another challenge highlighted in the report is the uneven distribution of schools across different levels of education. India currently has around 7.3 lakh primary schools, but only about 1.64 lakh higher secondary schools. As a result, many students have to shift to another school after completing primary education because there are far fewer higher secondary schools. Furthermore, only 5.4% of schools are composite schools, offering education from Grade 1 to Grade 12 under a single administration, making the transition to higher classes more difficult for many students.
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
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